The Lion and the Serpent
by The Queen of Plot Twists
Summary: Part 1 of Intertwined Series "Perfect." His fingers barely brushed the puzzle when the cold bite of a blade pricked his skin. Barely noticeable—if it hadn't settled on his neck. "Very." "That's a dirty trick, your highness" he smirked, coming face to face with the scarlet eyes of the only one who could ever outwit him. "No fair." Bakura x Atem Darkshipping Oneshot Ancient Egypt AU


Hey everyone! I know it's been a while since you've heard from me., but i've been going through a lot of stuff and have been slowly getting my inspiration back on all platforms!

Many of you may remember this story I did about five years ago to get help me get through another dry spell...and I've always loved this story and planned to continue it, but never actually did beyond a few notes, but recently inspiration has come from a good friend of mine continuing her fic Hostage and inspiring me to step outside my comfort zone, and remind me how much I love darkshipping-seriously I have like six or seven outlines in the works bot including this series that are darkshipping, so I'm very excited to continue it starting with a total revamp of this one.J

For the most part the plot of this story remained the same, but I severley needed to clean up the grammar, and editing which i've been telling myself to do for years and am SO glad that I did not only because i dropped a lot of hints for upcoming passages in this story but also because I was able to reacquaint myself with the characters in this story and their personalities. Especially my beloved Atem an almost beloved Bakura/Akefia/Thief King...I was THRILLED with his reception first time I wrote this story.

I've always loved playing around with these two personality wise and figuring out their back stories and those What If questions, that define the Millenium Arc...

Originally this was to be a prequel for a Darkshipping Sailor Moon idea I had that was going to be based on the Ancient Egyptian Gods, and while I doubt i will EVER do that series, honestly, it DID inspire and original series I plan to write along the same concept called the Partheon...and this also allowed me to play arund with a few head cannons I came up with related to Bakura's back story, Atem's back story and that of their families...I won't spoil the world building too much, but I will say this is playing off the concept that Zorc was never there to manipulate Bakura and what he would've done and become without that anger and hatred weighing him down, as well as what would've happened if he and Atem had some prior history before Aky's death...again I have a lot of ideas and I want to experiment with as many of them as possible so this will be an experiment for me as well as a chance for me to reimagine and get back into one of my favorite pairings and settings and hopefully get me through my Funk with Timaeus and At The Kings Pleasure and perhaps even start another Dark idea I've had in my head for a while...

See below for some Darkshipping ideas I have planned...I'll be starting a poll to see who's interested and once I finish Timaeus and am working on ATKP's rewrite i think it'll be fun to write one of these bad boys since the outlining is pretty much finished.

Inspiration: This Fic was inspired by Orochi-Dragon14's (Formally Bakurafangurl)'s Hostage (check it out if you're a darkship fan it is AWESOME!), Red Sands by MySweetAzaeleah (which i really hope she finishes or rewrites someday) and to a lesser extent JollyBigSis's Enslaved, and several darkshipping photoes recovered from Deviantart.

Dedication: For Orochi-Dragon14 who inspired, nurtured and ressurected my love of darkshipping and has always remained a life long friend :) I love you girl!

Disclaimer: I only own the plot. Characters and references belong to Kazuki Takehashi. See below for references relating to Ancient Egyptian History. This AMAZING cover art belongs to Meadowsweet and is avaliable on Deviantart and was borrowed with permission.

As always, critique comment, ask questions, both theories, rant, rave, flame (but PLEASE for the love of God give me a reason_ and go nuts! ABSOLUTELY NO TROLLING!

* * *

_Two distant souls_

_Never meant to meet_

_One a Prince, _

_The other a Thief:_

_A Lion and a Serpent_

_A Sun and a Moon_

_One destined and save this land_

_The other to spell its doom_

_And yet, their fates,_

_Their destinies, their lives_

_Have always been_

_Intertwined._

* * *

"You are _sure_ nothing was taken?" His father asked, brows knitted together. Whether from stress of disbelief, Atem couldn't tell.

"We are positive, _Ntsu_. We've combed these rooms over top to bottom. Everything is accounted for. The thief left with nothing." The Doorkepper bowed. His comrades nodded in confirmation.

"_That_ is what precisely concerns me," _Per-a'ah_ Aknankannon, whom all his life Atem had affectionately called King Aky, opened his eyes slowly. The words were simple but the gravity they held was sharper than any blade. "This is _not_ the first time he has broken into the palace, nor I have little doubt, will it be the last time. Just so, this _is _the first time he has gained access to this room. And yet he has taken nothing? Why? What is he after?" The man pondered.

_Per-A'ah _and prince spun. The crowd of seven whose faces Atem had known all his life, each one dressed in the fine, white ceremonial robes of their office and the golden ornaments of the patron deity, were gathered with the _Medjey, _assessing the damage and searching for some kind of clue. Atem knew they would find none.

Bakura, known more infamously by his title, The King of Thieves, did not leave clues. He was too skilled. Too careful. Too cautious. He didn't make mistakes, and if he did, he recovered quickly. Even the best of the _Medey_ had only caught glimpses of him.

So then why of all the rooms in the palace would he come _here_? It had been the question seared into Atem's mind since the alarm had been triggered.

Constantly under the heaviest security for obvious reasons, the Royal Treasury contained all the wealth of_ Waset_: exotic gold statues encrusted with jewels to famous spices, gifts and treasures of foreign lands, lavish silks and no small number of the gold and silver currency coins that were becoming popular among their overseas allies. But gold was common and so were precious stones. Even the common people wore jewelry as totems for religious ceremony and decoration than for any material value. Nothing worthy of stealing.

That wasn't the Thief King's style. He was much more flamboyant. He didn't waste his time with trivial items and petty thievery. There was an art to his madness and when he stole, he made a show of it. It was _why_ he was called the King: _he _only stole things no one else could, but there was mystery in his thefts as well. No one knew his plans until after the item had already been taken. Many a _nomach_ and _Madjey _had wasted valuable time and resources assuming they knew what the Thief King wanted only to leave his real target so pathetically undefended it was barely a challenge for him. Sometimes the challenge was so simple, he only left a note that it wasn't worth the effort to steal it, which was twice the insult.

The thief _craved_ a challenge.

By that logic the Royal Treasury was an obvious a target: a thief's paradise that no one had been able to penetrate. Yet _this _thief had taken nothing?

Atem strolled through the room searching the scattered gold coins to the toppled statues. Crimson eyes scrutinized each object. As a child, he'd seen this room many times, and every time he had, rarely anything was out of place, aside from the newest addition from countries determined to make strong alliances. He circumnavigated the room. Piles of coins pooled in poorly constructed pyramids left only a few narrow paths in the white stone. One had completely toppled over, cutting a bridge of gold across the white river. The coins had pooled out from the pile like a wave then suddenly stopped. It was then he noticed the trail of them between the barricade and the door. If they'd been stolen wouldn't there be drops of them as well?

A clatter of coins scattered where Seth was moving and he had his answer.

"Stop!" Atem's ordered and the room obeyed.

"What is it, son?" Only the _Per'a'ah_ dared interrupt the frozen stillness.

"We've been assuming that the thief's target was _this _room, correct? What if it wasn't?" He didn't waiver in his theory even in the face of confused eyes, his uncle's snort or his cousin's humoring smirk.

Instead, he marched over the pile of coins with all the regality his position granted and demonstrated. "Doorkeepers are posted at ever entrance and _Medjey _along this hallway. The Thief King is obviously familiar with that, but last night we doubled the Guard, something he did not expect. We assumed this room was his target because of the treasure it contains. Yet he took nothing? That alone raises suspicion. It is more likely he was trying to escape and simply stumbled across this room by mistake."

"You believe he came here on accident?" Aknadin snorted, the rough rasp of his aged voice harsh with derision like he was about to strike a silly child. Normally, such rudeness directed at either the Crown Prince or _Per'a'ah_ would be punished with a lash. But the old man was a _Hem-ntjr _and _Per'a'ah_'s brother, a position he milked like it was the venom of a snake

"He's a _thief_!" Aknadin pronounced that word with a special force as if the word alone was explanation. "He was discovered _here_! The coward probably ran off because the Doorkeepers caught up to him! It's as simple as that boy!" He snapped stomping towards his young nephew, towering over him with his superior height. Though the same age as Atem's father, Aknadin's ruffles of ashen gray hair and thick wrinkles from years of stressful shouts aged him far more quickly. His single eye was squinted in a glare, the other a single gold Wadjet eye that had terrified Atem as child—something his uncle had clearly known—but now filled him with disgust.

Donning all the regal dignity his position, Atem squared his shoulders and refused to be shamed "Bakura is many things, but the one thing he is not, is a coward. He's far too flamboyant for that."

Aknadin's eyes were fuming. Fury cracked his voice as he spoke "Now, is not the time for your games, Prince, this is serious work and we—"

"Enough." _Per'a'ah_'s cut him off. The harsh, domineering retort held no room for argument. "I will hear him speak. _Per'a'ah_ must consider any and all possibilities be it war or petty thieves."

Aknankannon spun towards Atem, appearing in every inch the living Horus his position demanded of him, but his eyes had softened. "And _this _is no petty thief."

Something like hurt flashed across the priest's face but was gone before Atem could register what it was, and the grumbling man backed away.

Atem gave his father a small smile in their secret languages then once more donned the neutral mask. The fire in his eyes blazed with scarlet confidence. "Precisely" he nodded and swaggered towards the door. "The lock was not fastened from the inside. If the Thief wanted to steal from this room, his first instinct would be to deny the Doorkeepers entrance as long as possible. He did not." He spun around again. "Second, look at what he _did_ touch. Even just one item from this room would mark him as the thief if he tried to sell or trade it. It would make him a target rather than wealthy. So by that logic the only thing he could steal would be the coins."

Atem followed the only section of floor not covered in piles of gold and heavy, unmovable statures. He stopped at a toppled pyramid where a sea of gold pooled in waves at his feet. "And those coins are the only thing out of place."

"You suspect was after the coins?" Isis, the only female priests asked curiously. Her large eyes, the deepest blue, and elegant face gave her a youthful appearance that betrayed her shrewd wit. "Then why shove the piles? She referred to the two bays of scatted coins, one by the prince the other by the exit. "Would it not be easier to simply grab handfuls as he went?"

"He could have taken too much from one and it became unstable?" Shada suggested. Thick trails of black khol around his eyes made them appear sharper and his gaze fiercer. His wig forgone completely to expose the tattoos decorating his bald scalp.

"Impossible," Mahad, the _Heka _Priest stepped in. He'd remained silent during the prince's observation, scrutinizing the room for errors but finding none. "He could never have escaped carrying that much weight."

"Exactly," Atem's neutral mask vanished. A smile slit his face and his eyes blazed. "Which means he was not after the coins either. He wasn't stealing anything at all. At least not from this room."

_That _caught everyone's attention. Even Seth, who had remained silent humoring the Prince's theory, raised his brows in surprise.

Atem's smile curled into a victorious smirk. "He was creating obstacles."

"Then he _did_ come in here trying to escape," Isis said understanding.

"Clever boy," Mahad snorted, a backhanded admiration. "Even if he came in here by accident, he was smart enough to know we would assume this was his target and waste our time trying to protect just this room, and leave everything else wide open for his next attack."

"Next attack?" Shada's voice rose with surprise. "You think he'll return?"

"_If _he did not get his target," _Per'a'ah_ stepped in, the weight of the golden puzzle swaying slightly with his movements. "We caught him off guard last night and he escaped. He may not have left empty handed."

"He did not take anything." Once again Atem's defiant certainty commanded the attention of all.

"And you know this how?" Seth asked rhetorically and in that moment Atem thought unpleasantly how much he looked like his mentor in his derision.

He hadn't expected Atem to respond, but when he saw the smirk curling at the corners, too late he realized he'd been played.

"The Thief King does not settle," Atem stood with a slender hand grasping a graceful hip. He wore confidence like it was the scarlet mantle pinned at his throat. "From his past thefts, we've seen he has a code of pride. He does not steal if the challenge is too simple, and he does not settle for stealing something else to save face if he is unable to reach his intended target. He'd rather leave empty handed. And all of his thefts have been about pride. _His_ pride and the pride of his intended target. He wants to steal something claimed to be unstealable. It's why he targeted the Great House in the first place. He wants to show even the _Per'a'ah_'s best men can't stop him."

Aknankannon looked at his son proudly. The priests hung on his every word, like proud soldiers trusting only their commander to lead them. The High Priest, wisely, stood back, but Aknadin was not so humble

"Then what _was_ he after?" He demanded in a tone that expected an answer, but assumed there would not be one.

Atem's eyes only brightened. "I have a theory." He turned to the Doorkeepers stationed at the second exist. "Where does this chamber lead exactly?"

The guards were not flustered by the question and answered obediently "It is an under passage, my Prince. Directly above it are the kitchens."

"And adjacent that?" Atem asked though he knew the answer.

Suddenly even the guards were surprised.

"The Private Chambers of the King and his family," _Per'a'ah_ spoke first.

"So it is not a thief at all, but an assassin!" Aknadin shrieked. The guards and priest all turned white. Even the _Per'a'ah_ looked disturbed for good reason. Only Atem and Seth looked unphased.

"Impossible," Seth shook his head dismissively. "If that were true he'd have killed everyone in his previous thefts, but he didn't. His attacks were always reckless and wild, clearly attempts to escape. He doesn't possess the stealth of an assassin. They're two different beasts."

"Indeed," Atem agreed quickly, hoping to mollify their fears.

They were justly warranted. If these actions were part of some rebellion, the best and quickest way to secure the empire was to kill the current ruler and any and all heirs to the throne. Rebellions wanted war even less than the monarchs did: it led to losses of men and moral and with every increasing battle the rebellions chances of success decreased. The Royal army and loyalists were infinite. Rebels were not. And wars cost money. Even if the Rebellion succeeded the "new rulers" were left with the debts of the old and those of the war. And, of course, there were the guards, priests and common folk who loved and feared the previous _Per'a'ah_ and trusted him to rule with justice and mercy, whose trust needed to be won, and they were far larger than the rebellion supporters. A quick death to the previous Son of Horus and his heirs and a fast succession of the new leaders avoided all that. But again the problem was convincing everyone else _you_ were the better ruler, otherwise the death of _Per'a'ah_ and the lack of an heir just created a new war for the throne.

"I have absolutely no doubt our intruder is a thief only. Assassins don't leave marks or notes behind. They rely on stealth and secrecy, possibly fear if it creates an opportunity. Moreover, he has had several chances to do so during each invasion, and we never even knew he was here. If he truly wanted to kill us, Father and I would both be dead."

"Then what purpose could he have in the Royal chambers, prince?" Shada asked.

"That I'm not sure," Atem answered and turned to the guards who'd chased him. "Did he say anything when he left?"

"Yes, my prince. He bragged, actually. Said we were fools to think we could catch the King of Thieves."

It made sense, Atem though. The Thief King had a habit for teasing officials. His movements were flawless and graceful which led many to wonder if he'd originally been an acrobat or an entertainer before his life of crime—the way he danced circles around his pursuers, both figuratively and literally.

Seth snorted. "An arrogant thief."

Atem's eyes glistened with delight, victorious triumph curled his smile.

"I know that look," his father whispered behind him, the hard lines of his lips curling into a secret smile. "You have an idea."

"I know what our thief is after." Atem nodded, a plan already forming in his head. "And I know exactly how to catch him."

X X X

Following Ra's descent to the underworld Nut covered the desert with her outstretched body blanketing the land in shadow and starlight. Unlike the day, the night was cool and crisp. _Djehuty_'s full eye shown fat and full, brilliantly highlighting the desert in silver light but without the harshness of the sun. An ominous shadow was cast over large monuments.

It was the perfect night for thievery.

And he was the King of them.

He said a silent prayer to the goddess for her shadows and scaled the smooth stone obelisk with the skill of a jungle cat. Close enough to the top he pushed his feet against the stone, pushed off and swung his weight to the left. The momentum propelled him in a half circle and he landed gracefully on the adjacent ledge.

He landed with a soft thump, his cloth slippers silent as a cat's paws. The slap of leather shoes and the clatter of armor, and he pressed himself flat against the corner crevice. A hand smoothed the spiked mass of starlit silver hair down: his trademark and dead visible in the darkness.

Nothing.

He smirked, rose to his knees without fear, spied the talking soldiers below. With a smirk he dashed across the buttress invisible at such a height.

Pity his usual entrance had been cut after a little slip up the previous night but a miner miscalculation. He jumped onto the lower level and raced across the ledge, just quick enough to avoid the looks of the guards. He hid behind a pillar and felt along the wall. His fingers brushed a crack in the stone: smooth and straight, too much to be natural

. His smirked curled. His knives had done good work. Grin widening, he spun around, grabbed the bars of the balcony and hoisted himself up.

The guards were no doubt all crowding the lower levels of the treasure cove, he'd unwittingly discovered last night.

_Fools_, he thought. Like he'd waste his time on those worthless trinkets. So predictable, but it made his job much easier. Only to a petty thief would they be valuable. And a stupid, petty thief at that. To the King of Thieves they were not but were mere child's play. After all, he was _King_ for a reason.

He scaled the balcony with ease, balancing his heels on the ledge—perched like a searching falcon. The imagery brought a chuckle to his throat. Hopping down with an elegant crouch, he stayed low, surprised to find no Doorkeepers.

Of course, these were the royal family's private chambers, specifically _Per'a'ah_'s chambers. Of course, there were no Doorkeepers _inside_ the room. He unsheathed his knife and scanned the darkness with meticulous eyes.

Empty.

Triumph curled his lips. He always did time his missions perfectly. With his eye fully open, _Per'a'ah_ needed to attend the ritual of honoring _Djehuty_. Such a ceremony could only be held at moonrise. Which meant by the time _Per'a'ah_ and his _Hem-ntjr_ returned he would be long gone with his prize. Now the question was what to take? Clearly something that could only belong to _Per'a'ah_. Something he would notice was gone. A flicker of moonlight caught his eye, he turned to it and they doubled in size.

Resting on the night stand, an inverted pyramid, crafted from solid gold with an eye of _Wadjet_ carved into its heart rested peacefully on a pillow. It glittered gold in defiance of the silver moonlight, beckoning him. Glowing. Like a beacon. Could there be a more obvious sign.

"Ah, perfect." A smile slit his lips; eyes glistening with delight. Gold flooded his vision. He abandoned confidence and swaggered towards the object, already imagining the faces of _Per'a'ah_ and his priests when they found their most sacred treasure gone.

His fingers barely brushed the Wadjet eye when a touch of coldness pricked his skin. Barely noticeable—if it hadn't settled on his neck: cold and sharp, gentle not to leave a mark but deep enough to boast a powerful bite. Wearily, he realized his mistake, and cursed himself for allowed his overconfidence to blind his guard.

"Very." The Thief King recognized that voice. A smile slit his face, clearly picturing the smirk at the end of the blade and blazing eyes burning with a scarlet fire he knew too well. "After all, for a Thief _King_ what greater victory is there than stealing from _right_ under _Per'a'ah_'s nose?"

"Sneaking up on a man's back?" Bakura chuckled. Gingerly, he released his grip on the puzzle and carefully nodded his head just out reach of the prince's blade point. Just enough to tilt his head, then his shoulder, then spin around so now he was wedged between the cramped night table and the prince's blade was but an inch from his chin. "That's a dirty trick, your highness."

He leered, coming face to face with the only one who could ever outwit him. And what a face it was: youthful with an almost feminine perfection illuminating high cheek bones and a chin chiseled in a regal point etched into an indomitable smirk. Framed by a forelock of gold, a testament to his father's own Ra-gold hair, but so out of place compared to the blazing mane of fire highlighted with flashes of red and purple. Oh yes, before him was a true testimate to the antiquity of the divine sands.

Prince Atem, the only son of _Per'a'ah_ Aknamkanon and his Great Royal Wife Samira. An oddity among the Kemet in both beauty and presence, he was not tall compared to most men, but he seemed taller the way dancers did with their long legs, slender torsos and graceful hips. He boasted the figure of a dancer but not the body: his hips were slender but not femininely thin, his build slender but not an hourglass and his shoulders were strong, broad rather than bony and golden skin bronzed as if Ra himself has kissed it upon his birth. The sheer fabric of his linen tunic did nothing to conceal the strength of his toned forearms nor his taunt legs, and firm white thighs vanished teasingly beneath the fabric of his shenti. Yet he radiated the dominance of a man well in command: flawless in his orders and unchallenged in his authority. A being who's mere presence commanded respect and nothing less.

Prince Atem, Bakura understood with a welcoming shrill when he found himself on the wrong end of the princes' most dazzling feature: the sharp, bright, soul scrutinizing eyes, burning scarlet and focusing their flames like pools of molten fire; was simply, lovely.

"No fair." He gently touched the side of the thin blade with a cautious forefinger. He smile showed teeth: fearless and flawless, and arrogance radiated sharply in his unreadable eyes twinkling the lavender of twilight. His smirk never faltered.

Neither did Atem's. Even when donning his most unreadable mask, there was no escaping the burning fire and there were many who had doomed themselves for underestimating that fiery gaze.

"Perhaps," Atem said in a low, clipped tone. He knew well of the Thief King's tricks. The smooth serpentine smile, the enthralling words and enticing compliments, the gentle caresses, and the flawless way he moved like a snake tantalizing a bird with its gaze and body just before baring its fangs and devouring it. And Atem was no silly bird. "But thieves don't play fair."

"Bravao," Bakura said the word in a long, drawn-out mock and clapped his hands sarcastically. "You managed to confess to a sin and scold me all in one sentence." Bakura tempted with a challenge. He hadn't removed his finger from the blade and used just enough strength to keep it away from throat. "Well done, Atem."

Atem's smirk hardened to a frown. The open familiarity of the tone, the sheer lack of authority, and the earnest way the prince's name rolled off the thief's tongue, like greeting an old friend he'd unforgivably betrayed and returned expecting things to be the same. It made Atem's stomach lurch. It was a miracle of his will, that he didn't stiffen his back and betray his revulsion.

"That's your _highness_ to you, _Thief King_," he said it, commanded it, like a _Per'a'ah_: hard and composed, but sharp and with no room for argument. Only a thief's clever ears caught the spat in the titles and the desperation for space.

Bakura laughed instead. "Well, as much as I'd love to stay and chat," He chortled with fearless ease, like they were old friends parting ways. It would almost seem genuine if it weren't marred by the sheer arrogance of it. Atem's face scrunched for a twitch of a second but the sharp ashen mauve eyes caught it.

Bakura took an arrogant step to the side, still holding Atem's sword, but his fear of the weapon was gone. He flashed Atem a smile, a genuine smile that radiated the liveliness of an out-going companion rather than a merciless thief.

He could almost pull it off, Atem thought, if not for the scars betraying his secret: a long jagged point starting just below his eye line and curling to just above his jaw. Two curved lines cut through it: one just below his eye the other across his cheek, faintly pale compared to the rest of his sun-baked complexion. Yet, they seemed to enhance the beauty and sharpness of his face rather than mar it: the way it perfectly arched to the strong curve of jaw and the broad point of his chin, the narrow, serpentine slits of his eyes that made the pupils sparkle like the actual twilight glittered in their pale depths.

How it brought attention to the other scars across his back and arms: the curved white cut on his shoulder, the splashes' of white across the broad, ripped canvas of his chest, bare and visible between the fold of the dramatically long burgundy coat he was never seen without. He boasted them like badges of honor and like the King himself, they breathed mystery and enticement. How many rumors had they inspired until the Thief King, himself had become a living folktale?

And the worst of all was not his face or his eyes, or his scars, but his hair, as Atem had learned the hard way when he'd glimpsed the Thief King for the first time without his hood and came face to face with the unruly and unkept matted mess that roared and swayed with the winds, and blazed in the bright sunlight as pale and white as _Heru_'s missing eye. Or dried bones. Or Seth's sky fire. It made him wonder if Ra's light had bleached it that color. Or if Seth himself had marked him as one of his avatars. Or if perhaps he was actually a phantom who'd escaped Anubis. He didn't know the truth. No one did. And it made the Thief King all the more mysterious, and all the more frightening,

It wasn't right, Atem thought, how handsome Bakura was despite the truth of him.

Handsome… and…vigorous.

_Very _vigorous.

And now he looked at Atem unafraid and completely amused like he were entertaining a child and was bored of humoring him. "I'm afraid I don't have time to give you the proper training required to arrest me, so..."

He took another step, to move away and walked right into a trap.

Atem's face morphed into a victorious smirk. Before Bakura could question the sudden change, Atem's hand flashed quick as lightning, and he felt the cold bite of a blade against his throat. Bakura blinked. The temptation to look down was strong, but the prickle of metal pressing into his neck was confirmation enough.

"I have the proper training since I was five," Atem boasted, his face neutral but his eyes blazed with triumphant fire like pools of molted scarlet.

"I see," Bakura licked his dry lips and chuckled low in his throat. He spoke with admiration and no small amount of pride. "But I'm afraid your form has a very critical error."

"Have I?" Atem said without humor, eyes fixated on the still confident gaze of the thief.

Bakura's smile curled at the corners. A serpent's smile. "You've forgotten: a man is not immobile when you have his neck," he began, the rough voice taking on a low, seductive rasp. His eyes flashing with something Atem didn't recognize, but chilled him all the same. "But his hands."

Atem didn't have to look down to know the prick at his stomach was a knife. Too late he realized his mistake. Bakura's right hand still held Atem's sword at a safe distance, but the other now held a sharp dagger poised to plunge into his gut: a faster, simpler strike than it would take to slit the man's throat.

And Bakura wasn't afraid of spilling his own blood.

Atem swallowed a curse. His eyes narrowed to slits of anger, but his grip remained firm on both his weapons, his smirk unwavering. His gaze fixated on the Thief King, daring him to move.

"It seems we're at a stalemate," Bakura taunted, laughing heartily even with a blade to his throat. "So why don't you just surrender, and I'll be on my way." Bakura grinned: his eyes half lidded with something that wasn't pride and not quiet poise either. He leaned forward a fraction but Atem was ready.

"And why," Atem gritted remorseless, pressing the blade deeper into Bakura's neck but it didn't cut, and bit down a flinch when Bakura matched the gesture. "Would I do that?"

Bakura gave a low chuckle. "Oh don't be like that," Bakura chided with a condescending pout. His smile no longer curled, but his blazing eyes were vivacious, almost...

A chill spidered up Atem's spine. His composure shattered in shock. Recognition rose like bile in his throat.

Bakura's smile curled into a predatory smirk. Eyes blazed with what Atem now recognized perfectly as lust. "I'd _hate _to have to scar your lovely flesh."

Atem's reaction was quick, wild but Bakura's was quicker. Atem freed his sword and angled it to strike down, but Bakura spun to the side now that he was no longer cornered and blocked the strike with his knife. The frozen second was all he needed to pull a second dagger from his belt. Atem pulled back rage blazing like wild fire on his face. Bakura grinned as they circled the other like territorial lions, one fighting for land the other for mates.

They met again in a dance of blades, moving to the music of clashing metal and the sheen of bronze against iron and gold. Each attack met with a block, every strike dodged with an elegant swoop. They were evenly matched, but Atem was enraged and struck wildly and savagely like a ferocious lion striking with its paws and teeth. Bakura sleekly danced aside and swirled with the elegant serpentine grace of a cobra. His coat blazing behind him like flaming _wadjet _wings the color of dried blood. His knives spiraled in his hands and easily blocked each of Atem's enraged strikes.

Atem's sword came down again, but Bakura dodged it only this time with a victorious grin he brought the butt of his blade down on Atem's hand. The force of it knocked the sword from his hand and nearly cost him his balance but he braced his hand against the floor and swirled back, barely avoiding another strike. With a summersault he grabbed the sword and stood on the other side of the room. Too late he realized he as now positioned between Bakura's knives and the far wall. All the Thief King had to do was turn around and he'd be over the balcony and on the roof before Atem could stop him. And judging from his own heavy breathing, he was in no position to stop him.

"Well," Bakura grinned only slightly out of breathe, both his knives still drawn one arm parallel the other held defensively by his face. "That was fun."

Fury and shame exploded in Atem's chest. They'd never been evenly matched. Not since Bakura has started his taunting, fueling both their egos and Atem had fallen for each word. His pride was wounded and in so doing his rage ignited.

"We're not done yet." Atem growled hard and composed. He let his rage subside into a shallow pool of composure. Perhaps if he could…

"Are you trying to bait me?" Bakura interrogated, pulling back his arm and spinning the dagger in his hand like a baton.

Atem's eyes widened.

"Oh, don't look so surprised, Atem," He chuckled, enjoying when Atem flinched at his name. "You're not really this bad at composure. I'm just really good at reading people."

Atem bit back a curse. "So what will you do now, Thief?" Atem demanded. He spat the word like it was a curse. "Escape again? You know we will be waiting for your return."

"Don't you mean, _you_ will be waiting for my return?" Bakura taunted, hoping for a reaction. To his disappointment there was none.

"Oh fine," Bakura sighed flamboyantly and cocked a glance at the balcony. "I supposed I _could_. But what fun would that be?" he shrugged his shoulders, his daggers still dangerously secure in his hands. "I've broken in twice, and _still_ haven't stolen a thing. That's not good for my reputation. And since you know what I'm after now, all the fun of stealing it is just gone."

"What a pity?" Atem bit sarcastically, watching Bakura stroll a bit closer.

"It really is," Bakura pouted, still smirking. "Of course, there _is_ a way for me to salvage the situation," he taunted hoping to entice Atem. His expression didn't change but there was curiosity in those scarlet eyes as well as victory.

Suddenly Atem smirked, baiting him. "And what," he took a step forward swaying that beautiful dancer's body with all the grace of a leopard about to pounce. "Would be more valuable than _Per'a'ah_'s sacred puzzle?"

Bakura's eyes flashed with surprised. It was barely there more than a second but it was enough to convince Atem, and he swayed closer.

Bakura's eyes suddenly lit up, recognizing the game. "When you put it like that then…"

Again they move like circling big cats, but this time their claws and fangs retracted. No longer a territorial display of power, but a show.

"I suppose I will have to steal something even more precious than gold. Something so rare and so secret that everyone has, yet once it's gone you can _never_ get it back, no matter how much to try and hide that it is gone."

He hated to admit it, but Atem was intrigued. He recognized a riddle and tried to solve it, but his attention was divided between Bakura who still held his knives at his sides, was still dangerously close to escape, and his own weapons still poised to strike.

"That reeks of a riddle," Atem chided.

"That's the point," Bakura admitted. His victorious smirk blazed brighter than ever. Suddenly he sheathed his knives and once more his eyes became half-lidded with lust. "Care to guess?"

A shiver chilled Atem's spine. His grip on his sword loosening, but his face remained composed. Even as his heard drummed in his chest so loud he could hear it echo and prayed the Thief King didn't hear it too. Bakura stepped closer. Atem's gripped tightened but Bakura was unphased.

"Give up?" he taunted.

"Never!" Atem said immediately. No longer was this about the riddle. He lunged forward and so did Bakura. Atem expected an attack, and raised his swords. Instead, Bakura swooped past them and landed between Atem's outstretched arms. Atem's face a mask of shock, Bakura took his chin and cheeks between his hands and pressed a kiss to his lips.

The blades dropped from Atem's hand, but they made no move to assist him. His eyes expanded in shock. His body betrayed his commands and his mind froze, leaving Atem unable to do anything but stand rock still.

Bakura was kissing him!

Bakura was _kissing him_!

Bakura was…kissing….him…

The kiss was hard: Bakura's lips were coarse and he was by no means gentle. It was searing, deep and held a trace of punishment, not in anger but of a scolding lover. But there was a hint of tender affection as well, barely audible but Atem felt it nonetheless, and—dare he admit it—enjoyed it.

And Bakura tasted every inch of Atem's shock and secret delight. He pressed his lips deeper savoring every inch of Atem's taste: it was just like him exotic and spicy, like drinking fire, and it surprised him how much he enjoyed it. He hadn't meant to. His true intent was to punish and taunt, but the soft lips were smooth and seductive and he wanted nothing more than to claim them.

Over, and over, and over again.

He stuck out his tongue for a quick taste then pulled away, licking his lips.

"Tell me." Still holding the prince's chin he met those glorious ruby eyes and whispered. "What could possibly be rarer, than the prince's first kiss?"

The small flicker was enough to galvanize Atem's thoughts. The gravity of what just happened, what he just _did_, came crashing down with the weight of a pyramid. Fire burned Atem's very being and in a fit of rage, fingers curled into a fist, he lunged screaming. "Why you son of a—"

But Bakura was quicker and caught his punch and pulled him forward so Atem crashed hard into his chest. Heat rose in his belly when his cheek and finger trips brushed the hard, firm chest, muscles pulsating with heat under his fingers, an alluring scent rolled off his skin like a rich perfume drawing in its unsuspecting victim with its musk. Against his will, Atem flushed.

Bakura smirked sinfully, pulling Atem from his flushed position like the man was a doll, Bakura's hands keeping him upright.

"Now, I take my leave." Bakura purred and with a spin he was on the balcony and crouched on the ledge ready to jump. He turned back to Atem with a final sinful smirk and tapped two fingers to his forehead. "Ta ta,"

That was his final mistake.

Atem's nerve shot brain processed everything in a split second and suddenly his eyes blazed with wildfire and his fury rose with all the savagery of an angry lion. "You bastard!" He shot forward, claws flexed and Bakura barely had time to jump before Atem was on the balcony.

Bakura landed on the roof below and bolted down the corridor but to his surprise Atem was after him. "Get back here you son of a bitch!" He roared savage and with unyielding determination.

Bakura laughed, loud and boisterous, looking over his shoulder as he ran. "Now, don't tell me one little kiss made you so upset?" he taunted and Atem ran faster.

Quickly, Bakura grabbed a pillar and whirled himself up on to the next landing. Atem skidded to a stop just before the obelisk ended and followed him. Bakura was impressed and hopped to a lower ledge but Atem was right behind him. The racket alerted the _Medjy _below who gasped in horror and shock at the sight of their Crown Prince chasing the Thief King across the roof. Alarms were sounded, guards piled into the night but the ruckus was a mere whisper of wind to the two on the roof, one chasing and hunting like a lion determined to make a kill, the other a graceful, taunting expertly acrobatic herbivore, not even concerned for its safety.

Bakura whirled around again and this time when Atem lunged at him he grabbed his wrists with the skill of a seasoned fighter and held them tight. Atem screamed and fought but Bakura's hands were like vices around his thin wrists and the adrenaline fueled sprint had zapped his strength and he could do nothing when Bakura pinned him against the obelisk, wrists level with his head and a knee wedged between his slim thighs.

Bakura licked his lips like a predator about to reveal its fangs: lavender eyes shiny with hunger for flesh. Atem hardened his gaze and grit his teeth, determined to fight and not fall to the way of prey. "Release me!" Atem demanded with the authority of a King, but the curled savagery of a caged lion.

Bakura cocked his head to the side, cobra-like, feigning confusion and curiosity before it bit. "And why would I do that," he whispered, hissing like a cobra in his ear, his knee rubbing dangerously up Atem's thigh and the shock of it nearly left him frozen once again. "When I get such a delightful reaction from you?"

A lion and a cobra: like Ra and Apep. One a sleuth jungle cat all fur, and teeth, and claws; the other a sleek and dangerous serpent, and enthralling eyes and graceful bows and hidden fangs that produced venom with each pretty lie. Except the cat never gave into the snake.

With all his might Atem bunched his knee and slammed it hard into Bakura's thigh. His height and angle, getting in the way he missed the man's vulnerable groin, but the force and shock was enough for Bakura to release him. The Thief King stumbled back and Atem took the opportunity to punch him square across the jaw.

"Apep and all devils!" Bakura cursed and straightened his balance.

"That's for that kiss!" Atem growled and aimed for another punch but Bakura was quick to dodge it and caught Atem's other wrist before his own force could knock the prince over. He spun Atem into his arms again. "If this is how you react to a kiss," Bakura purred and kissed Atem's cheek, then but released him before Atem could use the new position to his advantage. "I can't wait to see how you react to losing your virtue." A sinful smile, devilish wink and a hop over the ledge and he was gone.

Realizing what just happened, Atem rushed to the side of the balcony. A dash of white flashed across the night, but then it was gone.

The bastard had gotten away.

"Son of a—" Atem hissed, but his fingers rose to tentatively touch the spot where he'd been kissed. His fingers trembled to his lips and fear rose in his throat when he thought he felt a bruise.

"Atem!" the Prince spun around: his father and the six priests running towards him. Now aware of his surroundings, he saw he'd chased the Thief King to the lower levels.

"Are you alright?" Aknankannon asked concerned. "What happened?"

"Bakura," Atem snarled through clenched teeth. "The Thief King fell for my trap, but he came prepared. I fought him, I chased him, and he escaped." His voice morphed into a roar of disgust. "He escaped!"

"Perhaps," _Per'a'ah_ mollified his son and gently squeezed his shoulders. "But you stopped him and he left empty-handed."

The words filled Atem with shame. "No," he confessed suddenly feeling heat pool in his belly. His heart pounded but it wasn't from revulsion or shame. "He didn't."

Atem snapped and pushed through the crowd without another word. "But next time I fight him," he declared boldly, flames of determination and something else, blazed vigorous and wild. "He won't escape."

He was unaware of the smile those words brought to the figure hidden in the shadows just underneath the balcony, where a small alcove provided the perfect hiding place while the guards chased the flash of white they saw in the clearing. Bakura chuckled, normally he'd be amused that they fell for the decoy, instead he felt insulted the Prince didn't chase after it.

It mattered not. He could still hear the fire in the Prince's words. The bold declaration of war against him. The thrill of the chase, the rush of desire, even if he kept it secret from even himself.

Bakura slid from his alcove hiding place and dropped to the ground in a crouch. And sprinted to the wall. He was over it in a matter of seconds and in the alleys of _Waset_ even the most skilled trackers couldn't find him. Once on the safety of a household roof he dared a glance back at the palace. He wondered which lighted room was Atem's and the imagination of that fire and the bold words sent a thrill straight to his groin.

A sinful smile slit his face that even the most devious serpent would be envious of, even as the ache in his jaw warned him of caution. Fire still burned after all.

The chase had been ignited. It wouldn't be the last time he tasted the Prince's sweet fire. And if the Thief King got his way, he'd be tasting far more than _just_ Atem's fire.

* * *

I'm so proud of this story! it was so uch fun to write and interesting enough fun to edit. I loved getting reaquainted with my characters, and playing around with Bakura's playful side and Atem's fiery temper...

The Next Installment in the Intertwined series will be call _The Captive and the Cobra_

Sneak Peak:

_You see, little Lion, you've left me in a bit of a bind...You see I've lived my lfe on my own, caring for no one but my nxt score and keeping myself fed. I enjoy this life, difficult as it may be, I like the Challenge, the thrill..." There was almost mad brightness to his eyes as he said it. _

_It made Atem's spine shiver._

_"I _live_ for the chase, the challenge, lately however, I find myself...distracted, uninterested, craving a..._different_ sort of challeng than the ones I'm used too. And itc if you will, brought on by a certain someone who fights like a dancer and just abslutely _loves_ to glare at me with his pretty, fiery eyes..."_

_Realization caused Atem's eyes to bulge. Horror, shock, fury, lust and too many other emotions thundered in his suddenly pounding heart. He wasn't...he couldn't be...he couldn't possibly be asking..._

_"So you see, little lion, the solution to my...well...our problem is rather simple," he spoke it so casually, with all the ease of someone well practised in such activities, but those brilliant twilight eyes burned with a hunger so fierce, it nearly stopped Atem's heart._

_Bakura smiled, a curled, serpentine smile. "Let me fuck you."_

XD Aren't I evil! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Notes:

_Per-a'ah[[-_Lierally "Great House" or "House of the Great one" though this is a reference to the Royal palace, the Ancient Egyptians refuses to call their King by name and thus called him Per'a'ah in reference to his plae of office or Ntsu-King of Two Lands in reference. The word Pharoah, as we know it today is the greek translation of this word.

_Medjy-_also spelled Meday, the Police Force in Ancient Egypt, those of you who are Mummy fans may know them as the king's sacred body guards, but this ws only one of their tasks, they were charged not only with protecting the King but by keeping peae in ancient egypt and handing civil disputes or making sure they were brought before public office

Doorkeepers-Title for the Medjy or Guards whose sole dutywas to stand guard and protect certain rooms in the palace, specifically the King's chambers, those of his family, the high priests and any room containing valuable information or treasure

_Kemet-_Literlly the Black Land, what the Ancient Egyptians called Egypt, in reference to the rich, fetile soil of the Nile delta, the desert was known as the Red Land

_Waset-_Modern day Cairo, the capital city of Ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom, located in Uppwer Egypt's desert along the Nile

_Ra-_The Ancient Egyptian sung od, who was, literally the sun and was their equivalent to God (to make a modern comparison), they believed Ra sailed in a boat (the axtual sun) acorss the sky each day and then at night sailed through the underworld where his grandosn Seth protected him from Apep and the demons who sought to harm him. The sunrise each morning was prrof of his victory over the darkness. He also took the form of a falcon or a Cat. In one image he's a wild cat holding a knife and slaying Apep the demon snake.

Nut-Goddess of the nigh sky who at night stretched her body across the horizon, she was literally the night

_Djehuty-_known as Thoth (his greek name) the Ibis headed God of knowledge, writing, and balance and the Moon. There are several stories explaining his connection to the Moon including how he beat the moon god at Senet and collected more and more moonlight (explaining the moon phases) but more commonly its known as Thoth's eyes or Horus' blind eye which he repaired for him when Seth ripped it out. In thanks Horus gve Thoth is blind eye and made him the guardian of Kemet at Night,

Horus missing eye-a reference to the full moon, being Horus' bind eye or the Eye of Thoth

Seth's fire-Sky fire or lightning which was rare in ancient egypt but nonetheless terrifying since it meant storms were coming

Set-or Seth, the ancient Egyptian God of Storms, the Desert and chaos, but chaos in the sense that destruction brings about recreation and life, despite his bad reuptation, he was one of Egypt's most important gods, known as the Guardian because he was the desert and the storms that protect egypt from invaders, and was thus regarded as a duel concept of Heru (Horus). He was also the strongest of the Gods physically and was thus charged with defending Ra during his weakened state at night from Apep, the demon serpent.

_Wedjet-_one of Egypt's most important goddess, she was a woman with the head of a corba and more commonly a green sepent with a horned sundisk. Known as the fire spitting cobra (because cobras can shoot venom) she was the protector goddess of the delta nd loer egypt and the patron protector goddess of the king and his family. Her symbol, the urseaus, or a raised serpent posied to strike, was places on ancient egyptian crowns and headdresses to spit fire at the King's enemies. All land snakes espeically cobras and egyptian asos, are knon as her avatars.

_Apep-_also known in greek as Apopis, the demon snake who along with Ra was born from the primal sea of chaos and nothingness (aka space) when Ra created all life Apep attemptd to devour it all and return the world to nothingness. Ra fough with Apep and sealed him away in the underworld, but Apep is always seeking to return. He takes the form of a whale or a giant water snake, and is considered responsible for all the demons and evil spirits that haunt the world at night.


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